Last weekend we revealed John McCain’s dismay at David Cameron’s stance on Iraq. If the Tories’ bridges to the GOP are looking shakier the outreach to the Democrats is improving. Climate change evangelist Al Gore is to address the shadow cabinet this week, according to The Sunday Telegraph. The former US President’s hypocrisy on global warming was recently exposed.

This week looks set to be a big week for the Tories and the environment. Yesterday evening ConservativeHome covered the story about the Tories’ green tax plans. The newspapers have unfairly overinterpreted a consultation paper as definite plans. Today’s editorials are, nonetheless, an interesting warning of how newspapers are likely to react to heavy green taxation:

"George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, threatens massive hikes in the costs of one of the few bargains left: cut-price domestic flights. His barmy idea is to force us on to a rail network where it can cost £600 to take a family of four from one end of the UK to the other – in ECONOMY! …If the Tories aren’t careful, come the election we’ll remember two things: Hugging a hoodie and mugging your holiday flights."

– News of the World

"Millions have come to enjoy the freedom to fly on holiday at a reasonable cost. Something once available only to the rich is now within reach of hard-working people on ordinary incomes. Now the Tory Party wants to put a duty on such journeys. Shadow Chancellor George Osborne wishes to restrict each family to one escape to the sun per year. Anything more than that will be subjected to supposedly ‘green’ taxation, the proceeds of which – we are unconvincingly assured – will be returned to us in tax cuts elsewhere."

– Mail on Sunday

"Mr Cameron deserves more than the benefit of the doubt for his attempts to widen the appeal of his party and change perceptions of its motives. But he is running risks with these proposals: Labour may portray him as wanting to increase taxes on hard-working people by penalising those who spend their money on holidays for their families. Furthermore, there are now signs that the so-called "unanimous consensus" on climate change is disintegrating. Mr Cameron may be about to learn that the danger inherent in following political fashions is that they can change very quickly."